Stewards

In addition to being union members, some of our members choose to take a more active role as stewards in our workplaces. Union stewards step up to enforce our contracts and to make sure our coworkers know their rights. Stewards can accompany other workers at disciplinary actions and can represent union issues as equals with management.

To find your shop steward, use the directory below.

Your Weingarten Rights

All union members have a right to have their steward present with them during meetings that they feel might be disciplinary. In 1975, in NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the rights of employees to have union representation during investigatory interviews. Since that case involved a clerk being investigated by the Weingarten Company, these rights have become known as “Weingarten rights.”

If you are called into a closed meeting with your manager and you start to feel nervous that things may take a disciplinary turn, you have the right to stop the meeting and request the meeting be resumed when your union steward is present. If you’ve got questions about your contract, your steward is the best person to ask.

Read Word for Word to Your Supervisor

If this discussion, meeting or telephone call could in any way be related to my being disciplined or terminated or affect any of my working conditions, I exercise my federal rights and hereby request that my union representative or shop steward be present. Without their presence, I choose not to participate in this discussion or meeting. Please do not request that I waive this right.